A Leap of Faith
by katie1999
Summary: Zorro wants to force marriage by ruining their reputation and he has already a plan for it. Will they trust their love enough to go through with it when there will be no turning back? Did they consider all the consequences? This fired back on them in an unexpected way.
1. Chapter 1

**A Leap of Faith**

_Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else._

**Chapter 1**

"Do you want to get married, Victoria?" Zorro asked her, confidently leaning against the kitchen table in the tavern with his arms on his belt.

"Zorro, you startled me!" Victoria stared at him, "I didn't hear you coming." Then she realized what he had asked. "You're asking me if I want to get married?"

Zorro grinned. "Yes."

"Has something happened that Zorro is no longer needed? Or did you get a pardon that I haven't heard of?"

"No, unfortunately not," Zorro sighed. "Nothing has changed."

"Then what is it?" she asked him expectantly. "Will you remove your mask and show me your face?"

"You know why I can't do it!" Zorro sounded miserable again.

"Why do you ask me if I want to get married if nothing has changed?" Victoria was disappointed and annoyed.

"I have an idea that could get us married, but I don't know if we should do it."

"What keeps you, Zorro? You know I'd do anything for us to get married!"

"Do you really want to marry me, Victoria? Who are you in love with? The mask or the man behind it?"

"Zorro, I told you before that I love the man and not the mask! Why don't you believe me?" she stepped close enough to put her hands on his arms, trying to read his face.

"I don't want you to be disappointed by the one you find behind the mask." Zorro stared at her, showing his doubts, while he embraced her. "We could be married in four weeks or five, but it involves a scandal and there will be no turning back."

"We could be married in four weeks? That would be wonderful," she beamed at him. "I don't care for any scandal as long as it gets us married. Why didn't you say something before?"

"Because I got the idea only today when I remembered something. It's a simple solution, and I should have thought about it before. Ruining your reputation isn't something that should be done without considering the consequences."

"I don't understand how ruining my reputation could get us married, but I don't care, Zorro. You must believe me that I love you! What can I do to convince you?" She rose on her tiptoes to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Zorro returned her kiss passionately, enclosing her tightly in his arms. When they started to heat up, Zorro drew apart. "This is not the way I intended us to get married!"

Victoria looked at him confused. "I thought you wanted us to ruin our reputation?"

"I love you too much, Victoria, for taking your honor. We have to wait until we are married."

"But how will you get us married? What do you want me to do?"

Zorro grinned. "You only need to trust me, Victoria. There is a way, and you don't have to do anything."

"I will trust you with everything if it gets us married, Zorro," she assured him.

"Once we trigger that bomb, there will be no choice for any of us, Victoria. Do you really want that? What if you can't love the man behind the mask?"

"I told you before that I love the man and not the mask. If you doubt my love then you should unmask and give me a choice!"

"Victoria, I will need a few days to prepare something. In the meantime you can think about everything, and we can discuss it again."

"I believe you should think about it too, Zorro. Are you really ready to marry me? Are you doubting my love? Or do you believe in us? I know what I want – I want to marry you!"

"I will come back when I am ready to start, and I will accept your answer. Whatever it is!"

"I can give you my answer today, Zorro, and I look forward to marrying you," she smiled. "I will start dreaming about our future right now," she beamed. "Are you sure your plan will work?"

"Yes. We will be expected to get married at once, and there will be no suspicions you're going to marry Zorro," Zorro assured her, kissing her again. The way he held her and let his hands run across her body, showed his impatience to get married when they no longer needed to hold back.

Z Z Z


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next morning Victoria smiled happily when she opened the tavern. Finally, her dream would become true, and she would marry the man she loved. Though she had no idea about his identity, she didn't care. All that mattered was their love. There would be no more need for stolen kisses in the night, and no more fear that she'd never see him again, because he was killed by soldiers or bandits. Instead, she would be lying in his arms in the night. She would have the family she longed for and hold her own child in her arms.

Who was he? Where would she live? They hadn't discussed that and it would have to wait until they were officially betrothed and had set a date for their wedding.

How was Zorro going to arrange their marriage? It was still a mystery to her. Zorro had assured her that he wanted to keep her honor intact. So, what was he planning?

Z Z Z

Critically, Diego looked at the paper in front of him that he had worked on the larger part afternoon, but he wasn't satisfied with it yet. This had to be convincing to anyone who saw it, even though Victoria would probably never want anyone else to see it.

He thought of his meeting with Victoria last night, her beautiful face and her happy smile imprinted on his mind, before he continued with his task.

Bent over his desk in the cave, Diego smiled happily to himself, trying to imagine how his life would change once he and Victoria were married. When she would be living here with him at the hacienda, he would have her around him all the time, and he could kiss her and love her whenever he wanted. She'd be there to talk to and share his dreams, and he could take her in his arms and hold her, and ...

Felipe interrupted his thoughts by pulling at his sleeve, signing questioningly.

"Felipe?"

'What were you thinking of, Diego? You looked so happy for a moment!' Felipe signed.

"Victoria and I are planning to get married!" Diego grinned.

Astonished, Felipe stared at him. 'You and Victoria will marry? How? When? Did you remove your mask?"

"We will get married as soon as possible, after I have finished this!" Diego pointed at the paper on his desk. "And no, I didn't unmask. I still have to decide if I do this before the wedding or not."

'What is that?' Felipe pointed at the desk, but he couldn't see what was on the paper. It seemed to be a kind of drawing.

"It's private!" Diego covered it with his arms. "It's something I need to get done before we can marry."

Felipe eyed him curiously, while he stared intensely on the visible parts of the paper that weren't covered by Diego's arm trying to find out what Diego was doing. 'How will you get married if you don't unmask for Victoria? And what has this paper to do with it?'

Diego grinned. "You will see in time, Felipe. Why don't you tell me about the news in the pueblo? Any new taxes the alcalde has invented that require Zorro's presence?"

Though he was unhappy about the change of topic, Felipe realized that he wouldn't get any further information from Diego and recounted the latest news from the pueblo that might be of interest for Zorro.

Z Z Z

A few days later Diego was sipping his lemonade, smiling to himself while watching Victoria. Though there weren't many customers, Victoria was busy cleaning up the tables and getting ready for lunch time. Once she was finished and had a spare minute, she sat down at Diego's table.

"What has you in such a good mood, Diego? You have been smiling the whole time."

Diego grinned and bent a little over the table. "Can you keep a secret, Victoria?"

"Sure, I can. You can trust me, Diego. What is it?" Victoria leaned closer, unable to hide her curiosity.

"You remember when I told you that I was in love with a woman?"

"Yes, but you said she was in love with another man. Have you finally told her that you love her?"

"Not yet, but I have reasons to believe that she may love me too. I will ask her to marry me."

"That is wonderful," Victoria tried to sound happy. "I want you to be happy, Diego. You're my best friend."

"Yes, I am happy too," Diego smiled, noticing her strained smile. "I look forward to getting married."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Diego's confession bothered Victoria more than she would admit. Diego was going to marry! Who was she? She couldn't imagine Diego being in love with a woman, kissing her, sharing his life with her. Why did it concern her so much? She should be happy for him and rather think of Zorro and their planned marriage instead of Diego. But still... Diego was going to propose to the woman he loved and it gave her a sting in the heart. She couldn't stop thinking about it and her happy mood from earlier this morning was gone.

"Diego, what have you said to Victoria?" his father asked him later during dinner. "When I went to the tavern for a coffee after lunch, she was in a bad mood and Mendoza told me that she appeared to very happy until you talked with her."

"She was in a bad mood?" Diego grinned. It confirmed his belief that she was in love with him, though she was unwilling to admit it. "We only had a friendly talk and didn't fight at all, Father. Maybe Mendoza got something wrong, linking our talk to her bad mood."

Z Z Z

When Diego went to the tavern the next time, Victoria sat down at his table and looked at him expectantly. "Is there any news about your marriage plans, Diego? Who is she?"

Diego smiled about her curiosity. "Oh, I haven't had time to ask her yet. So, I can't tell you."

"I wish you luck, Diego," the longing in her voice was audible.

"I know how much you long for your own family, Victoria. You will have everything you want with Zorro."

"Are you sure, Diego? I don't know who he is and where he lives. I don't know anything!"

"You love each other, Victoria. Everything will be fine." Reassuringly, Diego covered her hand with his on the table.

"For years I tried to imagine how my life would be with Zorro, but it's hard when I don't know who he is, and where he lives. Will he expect me to leave Los Angeles and my tavern? Does he have a family and will they accept me?"

"I know it's hard for you, Victoria, but I believe that Zorro would never have courted you if he hadn't thought about it. He wants you to be happy and wouldn't put you in a situation where you won't be welcome."

"Thank you, Diego. I never thought about it this way and I feel so stupid for having these fears. You make it sound so simple." She hastily retreated her hand and stood up when Mendoza approached the table.

"Did I interrupt something, Don Diego?" Mendoza asked them, looking from one to the other.

"No, it's fine, Mendoza." Victoria declared. "What can I bring you?"

Mendoza hesitated a little, looking at Diego. "Bring us lunch, Victoria. The sergeant is my guest today."

Mendoza smiled happily. "Do you have tamales today, Senorita? I need to be prepared for out maneuver tomorrow in the south valley." Mendoza chatted on about his orders for the next days while Diego listened intently.

Z Z Z

"Have you made up your mind, Victoria?" Zorro asked her a week after he came up with his idea, leaning against the kitchen table, awaiting her answer. Was she ready to go through with it and marry him without knowing his name? Would she be able to love the man behind the mask?

"Do you want me to remove my mask before making your decision, Victoria?"

Victoria looked at him with a smile. "My answer hasn't changed, Zorro. I want us to get married no matter the circumstances. I thought the whole week about it, but I decided I don't need to see your face. I love the man, and I want to show you that I believe in our love. Do you want to unmask for me to make sure I won't reject you?"

Zorro shook his head. "No, I won't unmask, Victoria. If you believe in our love, I will believe in it too. I will trust you that you really love me and not only the mask."

Zorro drew her in his arms and kissed her tenderly. "I love you, Victoria."

"I love you too, Zorro."

Zorro stepped back and took both of her hands in his, placing a kiss on her knuckles. "The next time we meet you will be my bride."

"I look forward to it," she beamed.

"Even if there is no turning back? To live with a scandal isn't something that should be taken lightly. It may follow us for a long time and that's why I always tried to keep you reputation intact."

"I must confess that it scares me a bit, Zorro."

"It scares me, too. There isn't much time to get used to the new situation. We will do a leap of faith and believe in our love when we go through with this." Zorro drew her again into his arms to kiss and to hold her. "I can hardly believe we will get married. The padre will read the banns the next three Sundays and then we can have our wedding," he whispered. "I long to hold you and to kiss you and to wake up to you in the morning."

"I want nothing else, Zorro. Just kiss me and believe in our love."

Z Z Z


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Victoria was nervous. Three days ago she had agreed on Zorro's plan of getting married, but nothing had happened yet. Zorro hadn't come to the pueblo since then, and she didn't know what was going on.

Mendoza had told her about a chase Zorro had given them yesterday and that they had almost caught him in the windmill. Victoria grinned. As if Mendoza and his soldiers would ever catch Zorro!

A commotion outside alarmed her and she quickly went outside, joined by the guests in her tavern.

Zorro! He was in the pueblo, challenging the alcalde, and everyone knew how it would end.

After Zorro had finished his fight with the alcalde, humiliating him and leaving his mark on his vest, he was on his way out of the pueblo. When he passed by Victoria, who was standing next to Don Alejandro, Zorro stopped Toronado in front of her and she smiled at him, happy to see him.

"Zorro, thank you for making the alcalde rescind the tax."

"De nada, Señorita," he said with a grim face that was quite unusual for him when he talked to her, addressing her with Señorita instead of Victoria. "I did it for the people."

Instead of making her compliments as she thought he would, he angrily glared at her.

"When Mendoza and his soldiers chased me to the windmill yesterday, I found something in the old windmill that you told me you spent a night there with Don Diego."

"The windmill?" Victoria stared at him. "But nothing happened there!"

"Do you really want me to believe that when Don Diego made this?" he reached into his pocket and handed her a folded paper with some writing on the outside. "After all these years I had thought better of you. I won't mess with another man's woman! Good day, Señorita. I hope you'll be happy with Don Diego." Without waiting for her reaction, Zorro turned around and rode away.

Victoria unfolded the paper and stared at the drawing and the words written above. Embarrassed, she started to blush, quickly folding it again, before someone could see its content.

"Yes, that's the paper, Alcalde!" Mendoza exclaimed. "I saw Zorro holding it in his hands yesterday when we thought we had caught him in the windmill."

"And why didn't you catch him?" de Soto asked annoyed. "When you already had him as you claimed?"

"He's Zorro! He escaped through the window and trapped us inside." Mendoza defended himself.

"He made a fool out of you again, Mendoza. Don't deny it! Zorro deliberately led you to the windmill to trap you. Will you ever learn not to fall for his traps?" de Soto despaired.

"What is on the paper, Victoria?" Alejandro asked her curiously, staring at her flushed face. "Is it true that you spent a night with Diego?"

Victoria was completely surprised. Zorro had warned there would be a scandal, but she had never expected this. Nothing had happened between her and Diego, and they had kept it a secret. They had pretended that had spent the night in separate rooms in Santa Paula and nobody had been suspicious. Now everyone was staring at her.

"So, you betrayed the hero of the pueblo with Don Diego?" de Soto smirked at her; the satisfaction to see her ruined and separated from Zorro was more important to him than ordering the chase after Zorro. "Who would have guessed that?"

"Weren't you holding hands with Don Diego last week in the tavern?" Mendoza hinted.

"That was different! There's nothing between me and Don Diego!" Victoria protested, but she could see in the faces surrounding her that nobody believed her.

Alejandro stared at her. "Victoria, I think you and Diego have something to explain. IN PRIVATE!" Victoria had never seen him so furious. Alejandro took her by the arm and led her quickly to the tavern. The crowd that followed them curiously was kept out by the door that Alejandro closed behind him and Victoria.

"Victoria, you have always been dear to me, and you are the daughter I never had, but I have to know the truth. Did you spend a night with Diego at the windmill?" Alejandro demanded to know.

"Yes, but that was weeks ago, and nothing happened," Victoria defended herself, still too confused by everything.

"When was that?"

"When I accompanied Diego on his trip to Santa Paula to talk with the emissary. On our way back we had to seek shelter from a storm in the old windmill. Diego said that it was better if we didn't talk about it and pretended we spent the night in separate rooms in Santa Paula."

"But Zorro found out! Why did you think you could keep it from him? He is Zorro! What is on that paper he gave you?"

Victoria pressed the paper to her breast, unable to hide her embarrassment. "It's private. I can't show it to you."

Curiously, Alejandro glanced at the paper. "Obviously, the paper was enough to convince Zorro that something happened between you and Diego. You don't need to show it to me. I can identify Diego's handwriting on the outside what looks to be the draft of his speech for Emissary and I don't want to see anything private - whatever it is. Especially, when it is sufficient to convince Zorro about your relationship with my son."

"Don Alejandro, you must believe me," Victoria tried to convince him. "Neither me nor Diego did anything wrong."

"I don't want to hear anything more. It doesn't matter what happened in the windmill when you just publicly confessed that you spent a night there with Diego and Zorro has found some evidence you foolishly left there. You and Diego will marry as soon as possible! I suggest you come with me to the hacienda, and we talk about the details with Diego." Waving his gloves angrily, he stormed out of the tavern, leaving the door open for the crowd outside.

"Everyone out!" Victoria ordered her guests before they could file back in. "The tavern is closed for the day!"

After Victoria had made her cart ready, she quietly drove to the de la Vega hacienda, her mind too occupied by the events to talk to Don Alejandro who rode beside her. She still couldn't understand what had happened. Zorro had told her that she should expect a scandal, but why had he picked that night from the windmill?

The paper suggested something that hadn't happened between her and Diego, and it was obvious that Diego was the owner of the paper.

She was so confused and overwhelmed by the events that she couldn't think straight. Zorro had been so angry with her. Was this part of his plan? Or did he truly believe she had betrayed him? What if she had lost him for real and he no longer believed in their love? He had doubts before, and now? Did he think the paper was genuine? Was this truly the end or was this an act?"

The prospect of losing Zorro scared her and put tears in her eyes. What could she do now?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

From the scared and confused look on Victoria's face, Diego could see that she hadn't made the connection yet when she entered the library with his father.

"Diego, something happened in the pueblo today. Zorro split up with Victoria, claiming he had evidence that you two had an affair? What can you say about this?" his father demanded.

"Diego, I need to talk with you about it, too!" Victoria insisted, not caring that she didn't give Don Alejandro a chance to talk privately with his son.

"Father, would you leave us alone, please," Diego asked. "We need to discuss this situation in private."

"Talk as much as you want, Diego, but there will be no escape for you. You and Victoria will get married as soon as possible. While you two have your _discussion_, I will ride back to the pueblo and arrange your wedding date with the padre. I think it should be sooner rather than later. It's been some weeks now." Alejandro scrutinized Victoria, and she had the feeling he was looking for a pregnancy by staring at her belly. "You can explain everything to me when I come back, and I hope you have a good explanation!"

As soon as he had left, Victoria turned her attention to Diego.

"Diego, why did you make this paper? We both know that nothing happened in the windmill – at least not something like this!" Victoria waved the paper in her hand. "We wanted to keep our stay there a secret, and now Zorro has found out!"

"Do you really believe that nothing happened, Victoria?" Diego had risen from his chair when she entered and moved now toward her, putting his hands on her upper arms. "Do you remember when I put my jacket around you, because you were cold, and I held you like this? We looked at each other, and I knew you wanted me to kiss you. I wanted to kiss you too, but I wasn't ready then. If I had kissed you in the windmill, I wouldn't have been able to stop, and your reputation would be really ruined."

Victoria stared at him as he drew her closer, and she could not turn away from his blue eyes. She remembered, how she had wanted Diego to kiss her and the attraction she had felt for him long ago, on the first day they had met after his return from Spain.

"It may be true, but I can't love you. I'm in love with Zorro, and I want to marry him!"

"Then you admit that you have feelings for me, Victoria?" Diego searched her face. "When I made this," he pointed at the paper in her hand, "I realized that I no longer needed to question you about your love for me, because you had already given me the answer that night in the windmill, and at several other times when you couldn't hide your jealousy."

"Please, Diego, don't do this to me! For years I have worked hard to bury my feelings for you, because it's something that can't be. I can't love two men at the same time, and you told me that you are in love with someone, too. Don't stir things up again. Let's keep it as it is." Victoria was close to crying, and it was obvious how much their conversation disturbed her.

"You never guessed who it could be, Victoria? The identity of the woman was I was talking about? It was you!"

"Me? You were talking about me? But, you can't be in love with me, Diego! I love Zorro, and I gave my promise to him. We want to get married! Why didn't you say so last week when you told me you were going to marry?"

"I wanted you to think about your feelings for me, Victoria."

"Please, Diego, try to understand! I can't allow myself to love you. If I do, it will tear me apart. I can't divide my self between you and Zorro. Please! It hurts too much!"

"And if you don't need to divide yourself and decide between me and Zorro?"

Confused, she looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"You never guessed it, Victoria, did you? You could never find out who Zorro was! What if he was always right in front of you?"

Finally, it dawned at her. "It's you! You are Zorro!" Stunned, she stared at him. "I'm sorry. I never saw you. I never expected you to be him!"

"What do you think now?" he asked expectantly.

"I should have known!" she whispered. "I'm sorry, Diego, that I didn't make the connection earlier. I should have known the moment Zorro handed me the paper and accused me of an affair with you. You told me we would be betrothed the moment we started this, but I never imagined it to be like this."

"Are you disappointed that it's me?"

"No, I'm not, but...," Victoria began to cry.

"What's bothering you?" he asked her, confused and concerned by her tears.

"I'm hurting. I thought I was safe when I denied my feelings for you and never admitted them, and now I realize that it was never necessary. I have to face my feelings for you and for Zorro again, and I don't know how to handle it. It's all too much at once."

Diego drew her into his arms and held her gently, caressing her. "I'm sorry, Victoria. I never wanted to hurt you, and I didn't know what you were feeling. From the way you treated me, I thought you couldn't love the man behind the mask, and I was afraid you'd reject me."

"But when we decided to go through with your plan, you finally believed in our love and that I loved the man and ot the mask. What had you change your mind?" Victoria asked.

"When I thought about the chance to get married by revealing that we spent a night at the windmill, I went through the events there again in my mind. I realized that it wasn't the only time you showed your feelings for me. There were other times when you couldn't hide your jealousy when you thought I'd had an affair."

"I always told myself that I shouldn't care about your love life, but I couldn't imagine you with another woman." Victoria frowned at him, leaning into his hand with her cheek.

"Yes, it was easy to see by the way you reacted when I told you about my wedding plans. My father told me that you were in a bad mood afterwards. It showed me that I needn't doubt your love for me. That's why I didn't unmask when I asked you if we should go through with our plan to get married."

"We should have talked about this much earlier, Diego. It would have saved us much pain, and we might not have wasted so much time."

"Yes, you are right, Victoria, but I was afraid that I'd lose you if I revealed my identity to you. I wanted to keep you safe by keeping my secret. Are you feeling better now?" Diego looked at her tenderly, keeping her firmly in the circle of his embrace.

"I'm not sure, Diego. It's so much to take in. I am still trying to grasp it all."

"Anything I can do for you?" he chuckled, kissing her forehead softly.

"Yes, there is something, though I feel silly to ask this."

"Anything, Victoria! What is it?"

"Would you change into Zorro's outfit for me?"

Confused, Diego stared at her.

"When we planned this, Diego, I told you that I didn't need you to unmask for me, but now I realize that I do need it. I need to see you as Zorro and without the mask. Would you do that?"

"Don't you believe me that I'm Zorro?"

"I do, but still I need to see it. I tried so hard to keep you and Zorro apart that it's difficult to grasp the truth without seeing it."

"Wait for me, Victoria. I'll get you when I have changed." Without hesitation, Diego went to the mantelpiece and pressed the secret lever. Astonished, Victoria saw him disappear behind the hidden doors that closed immediately behind him. Curiously, she touched the mantelpiece at several places, but she couldn't find the lever to open the door. Then the door was opened from the inside and Zorro's hand reached out for her.

"Victoria?"

He drew her inside and led her up a few stairs on a small platform where another set of stairs descended to the main area of the cave. Diego wore Zorro's clothes, but he hadn't put on the mask. Looking around, she gasped, staring surprised at the cave that she remembered from the day he had proposed to her.

"We're in your cave! This was behind the fireplace all the time, and nobody guessed it!"

Putting her hands on his upper arms, she held onto him, seeking support. "You said we'd do a leap of faith when we started, but I wasn't prepared for all these revelations! I never expected it to be like this. I feel like I'm falling."

Diego drew her in his arms and held her securely. "Better?"

Victoria nodded, hesitantly. "I'm trying to comprehend it all, Diego," she whispered, looking up and down from the black of his shirt to his unmasked face. She slid her hands from his chest to the back of his neck, feeling the familiar soft silk under her hands. Diego bent down to kiss her and when she closed her eyes, everything felt alright again. They were the same strong arms that always held her, the smooth silk of his shirt and the same persuasive lips. Holding onto him, clasping her fingers in his collar, she didn't want the kiss to end. As long as he held her and kissed her, she felt safe, as if he was the only one who kept her from falling.

"It's all right, Victoria," he whispered softly, as she leaned against his chest, her eyes closed. "I understand that it's a shock for you."

Victoria nodded, her closed eyes filled with tears. "Can you just hold me?" she pleaded.

Diego picked her up in his arms and sat down on the chair behind his desk, pulling her onto his lap. "I guess you have many questions. Let me explain how it started." Talking softly, Diego explained how he got the idea for Zorro when he had searched for a way to get her and his father out of prison without fearing recriminations. It had never been planned to be more than that, but then he had felt compelled to continue when he saw the people suffering, knowing that he could make a difference.

Between kisses and caresses, they talked quietly for a long time. Diego answered Victoria's questions, as she slowly started to grasp everything. It was a lot to take in, and she would need more time to cope with it.

_**A/N**: Thanks go to KathyZfan who not only gave me the idea for this story, but also took the time to beta this chapter. I read her windmill story and when I read her lines where Victoria tells Zorro that nothing happened there, I realized that it didn't matter if anything happened or not. KathyZfan allowed me to copy these lines into my story and work my own version around them. Thanks go also to msjed2 who helps me with my grammar questions during writing._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Victoria, we need to go back to the library, before my father comes back from his talk with the padre."

"Your father, why didn't you tell him?"

"For the same reasons that I didn't tell you. I wanted to protect you and him. I'm not sure if he could stay calm if he knew it was me behind the mask."

"I'm not sure if I can do this either, Diego."

"I need to change before my father comes back, Victoria. Please, give me a minute." Diego grabbed his clothes from the stand and stepped down the stairs toward the entrance where he was partly hidden from view.

Victoria went to the back of the cave to Toronado's stall, feeding the stallion a carrot and petting his head.

"Toronado likes you," Diego embraced her from behind, dressed again in his blue suit. "But not as much as I do."

"I need to get used to this," Victoria looked down at his arms around her waist, covered in blue instead of the familiar black.

"I'll do my best to help you." He turned her around in his arms to kiss her. "Now I no longer have to dress up if I want a kiss from you," Diego grinned at her. "It will make my life much easier and safer."

"Will you give up Zorro after our wedding?"

"I don't know if I can, Victoria. I can't stand by and do nothing, when I can make a difference as Zorro."

"I understand, and I don't expect you to." Victoria bit her lip, showing her anxiety about it.

"I have given it some thought during the last week when I prepared everything for today. I will continue riding as Zorro, but only when it's really necessary. It's time for the soldiers to do their job, capturing bandits and keeping the area safe, and my father and the caballeros will have to make a stand to protest against unjust taxes. Standing together, they can stop de Soto without relying on Zorro."

Diego placed a kiss on Victoria's forehead, smiling. "When I have you safe here at the hacienda as my wife, the alcalde can no longer use you against Zorro, and when he realizes that Zorro no longer comes because of some taxes that he only invented to catch Zorro, this spiral of oppression may be broken. Hopefully, there will be no more taxes that Zorro has to make him rescind, creating just another scheme that Zorro has to act against and so on. I am tired of it, and I want to break out!"

"Hopefully, de Soto will realize that the situation has changed! What about your father? Will you tell him?"

"Now that you know the truth, I need to tell it to him, too. He has a right to know when we get married. I don't want him to think bad of you, because of the circumstances of our wedding. He will believe us when I tell him that I am Zorro."

"Everyone believes Zorro more than us," Victoria stated. "When I protested that nothing had happened, your father believed Zorro's word more than mine after the 'evidence' Zorro presented. They thought it was about something that happened and not something you made up," she scowled.

"It took me a lot of time to create this," Diego protested with feigned hurt. "It was hard work when my imagination was all I had. It will change when we are married." He grinned at her blushing.

"It was quite embarrassing when I saw it at the plaza!" Victoria chided him.

"It only showed what might have happened at the windmill if I had kissed you. Where did you put it?" Diego looked around in the cave.

"Oh, it must have slipped from my hand when you embraced me in the library earlier." Victoria said alarmed.

"Don't worry, it won't get lost. Forgive me the forged paper?"

"Only if you kiss me and promise me that you won't show it to anyone!" Victoria rose on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck.

"As many kisses as you want. Marry me?"

"It's all I want, Diego!"

Upon their return to the library they found the paper lying on the desk. "Someone must have found it and put it on the table." Diego picked it up and hid it in his pocket. "I will store it in the cave where it will be safe from curious eyes."

Z Z Z

When Alejandro returned from the pueblo not much later, he found them sitting on the couch side by side, holding hands and talking quietly.

"I can see that you have come to an agreement, or was Zorro right about you after all?" Alejandro eyed them suspiciously. "I have talked to Padre Benitez, and he will start reading the banns this Sunday in church, so the wedding ceremony can take place in three weeks. I hope that's early enough." He stared at them uncertainly.

"Yes, Father, Victoria has agreed to marry me," Diego smiled happily. "We like to get married as soon as possible, but I can assure you there is no real reason for hurry except that we wanted to get married for years."

"I am happy to have you in the family, Victoria, despite the circumstances, but what do you mean, _you wanted to get married for years_?"

"There is a lot we have to tell you, Father. Zorro was right – we were having an affair for years now."

Alejandro stared at them, shocked.

"It's not as you think, Father. We never overstepped any boundaries when I met her as Zorro or as Diego. I am Zorro, Father!"

Alejandro was stunned and continued to stare at him. When he found his speech again, he couldn't stop asking questions, demanding to know everything. During lunch and dinner, Alejandro continued with his questions and was surprised about Felipe's involvement.

Patiently, Diego explained how he had invented Zorro and how he came up with the idea to get them married by ruining their reputation.

"What was on the paper, Diego?" Alejandro asked curiously. "Did you forget it at the windmill after your stay there, or was it a fake? What would have happened if someone else found it?"

"It's private, Father, and it doesn't matter anymore. It had the only purpose to convince everyone who accidentally saw it that we had an affair, and it served that purpose without having to show it around. After Victoria dropped it earlier in the library, we found it on the desk, but I hope the finder didn't look inside." Diego noticed Felipe, who was starting to blush and stare at his plate.

"Ah, I see," Diego stated wryly. They both remembered the time when Felipe had snooped through one of Diego's letters and revealed it later to Zorro, giving him useful information to fight Sir Miles Thackery.

"So, you have seen it, Felipe?" Alejandro inquired, but Felipe wouldn't look up from his plate still red all over his face. To change the topic, Diego explained his plans concerning Zorro and that he wanted to limit his riding as Zorro.

"I don't know if I can stand this, Diego," Alejandro admitted. "Now that I know it's you behind that mask, I will have a hard time keeping still every time you ride into the pueblo and seeing the soldiers shooting at you."

"That was one of the reasons why I never told you, Father." Diego explained.

"I don't like it at all, Diego," his father repeated. "I won't have a quiet minute any longer, now that I know how you really spend your time, and if I will see you alive again the next day. Something needs to be done so that you don't have to ride as Zorro any longer."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

When Victoria opened the tavern the next morning, she couldn't miss the whispered talks of her guest that always stopped when she came into hearing distance. She felt as if they were all scrutinizing her, expecting her to show the beginning of a pregnancy. Embarrassed, she retreated to the kitchen about lunch time, not knowing how she could face it for the next three weeks until the wedding.

Diego went looking for her in the kitchen when he missed her standing behind the bar at lunch time.

"Victoria, what's wrong? Your helpers told me you wanted to stay in the kitchen today, but I need you to come out with me. My father is waiting in the main room to announce our engagement!"

"Please, Diego, I don't know if I can go out there."

"Why not? What's wrong?"

"You warned me that a scandal shouldn't be taken lightly, but I didn't really understand it. I never knew it would be like this! People staring at me, whispering among them and stopping suddenly when I get closer."

"Do you regret it, Victoria? Would you have preferred to wait instead?"

Victoria shook her head determinedly. "No. I was tired of waiting for Zorro. It was the only thing we could do to get us married quickly, but I'd never have thought it would be so hard. It's different for a woman than for a man. A man gets applauded for his successful conquest of a woman while the woman gets the blame and the bad remarks."

"I'm sorry, Victoria. I wasn't aware of that before. The next weeks will be a hard time for you, but I'm sure it will stop once we're properly married and convince them that you're not expecting a child yet."

Reluctantly, Victoria followed Diego into the main room where Alejandro announced their engagement, buying a round for all at his expense.

Diego stayed in the tavern after the announcement, shaking hands from friends, who congratulated him to his engagement or mocked him for being caught accidentally. And then there were those, who couldn't refrain from remarking on the circumstances.

"Are you sitting there to guard your bride, Don Diego?" One of the men sneered. "I would too, if I were you. She discarded Zorro for you, and I would be careful to make sure she doesn't discard you!"

Angrily, Diego grabbed the man by the collar and threw him on a table. "Are you implying that my bride is unfaithful?" Diego turned the collar around in his hand, tightening it until the man could hardly breathe.

"I am sorry, Don Diego, I didn't mean that," the man pressed out with difficulty. "I take it all back and apologize."

"Apologize to my bride!" Diego demanded, pushing him in the direction of the bar.

"I apologize, Señorita Escalante, I didn't want to insult you and hope you will forgive me." Before Victoria could reply, he bolted out of the door.

"Thank you, Diego, for defending me." Victoria smiled at him, "but you should be careful what you do." They both knew that he couldn't be risked to be compared to Zorro.

"I know, but I couldn't have this man insult you. I will make sure that these insults are stopped."

"Please, Diego. I can bear with it. I don't want you to take any risks."

"Now that you are my bride, I will protect you, and I already know how." Diego declared stubbornly.

Z Z Z

Diego returned to the tavern in the late afternoon, shortly before dinner time, when the tavern was crowded the most, carrying a large box under his arm. Occupying a table in the center of the room, where he could observe most of the conversations, he dropped the box on it with a loud bang. Instantly, all faces turned to him, granting him the attention he wanted.

"Señores," Diego addressed the guests in the tavern, "as you all know by now, Señorita Escalante is to be my bride. As her fiancé, it is my obligation to defend her honor. Despite any rumors, Victoria is a woman of honor and anyone, who wants to doubt that, will have to face me."

Diego opened the locks on the box and opened the lid, revealing his father's two duel pistols.

"I cannot fight with the sword as Zorro does, but I can handle these pistols. Anyone, who insults my bride, will face my challenge. So, I would advise you to think about your words!"

The guests stared at him in surprise, as they hadn't expected this challenge. Diego looked around silently, making the guests avert their eyes. Confidently, Diego sat down at the table, keeping the box open for anyone to see. Slowly, the conversation returned to normal. If anyone mentioned Victoria's name, Diego's head turned towards that table and quickly the conversation shifted to other topics.

At the end of dinner time, Victoria sat down at Diego's table, smiling, relieved. "Thank you, Diego, for coming to my aid tonight. It was an effective way to stop people from making bad remarks about me, and I don't think they will try again soon."

"Victoria, this will not end after a day. The people like to gossip whether we like it or not. All I can do is to save you from direct insults, so you can continue with your work. I will stand by your side and defend you until this is over, and I have made an honorable woman out of you on our wedding day."

"Do you want to sit here in the tavern every day until our wedding? Don't you think this is overdone?"

"I have seen how it affects you, Victoria. I have brought you into this situation, and I won't let you deal with it alone."

Z Z Z

The next few days Diego stayed in the tavern, the pistol box always on the table as a threat to everyone. Alejandro agreed with Victoria that it seemed a bit overdone, especially since the bad remarks had stopped after the first day.

"Diego, I think you should take a break from your vigil in the tavern. There is a lot you have to do to prepare for the wedding, and you cannot take care of it if you stay in the tavern the whole day every day. There's your new suit for the wedding that will need several fittings at the tailor in Santa Paula, and you also wanted to go to the bank there."

"I know, Father, but I promised Victoria that I wouldn't leave her alone in this situation. The first day after we announced our engagement, she wouldn't leave the kitchen anymore with all the bad remarks she had to face."

"Diego, we all wish that this engagement had taken part under better circumstances, but I understand why you did it, as it was the only way for you to get married, after all the years you have been waiting for each other. Zorro could never marry her, and there is no end for Zorro in sight with de Soto as our alcalde."

"Yes, we both discussed it before we went through with it, but we didn't want to wait any longer."

"I am not happy with your plan to continue riding as Zorro after your marriage, but I will support you where I can. If it relieves you, I will take care of Victoria tomorrow. I want to meet with the other caballeros in the pueblo to get organized if Zorro is going to be around less. He will be occupied with his new wife," Alejandro winked.

"Father, please," Diego said, embarrassed.

"Then you will ride to Santa Paula tomorrow?"

"Why are you so eager to have me out of town, Father? Are you planning something?" Diego asked suspiciously.

"As I stated before, you need to get prepared for your wedding, and you can't get ready by staying in the tavern every day."

"I'm not sure what you're up to, Father, but as long as you protect Victoria for me, I guess it will be alright." Diego conceded to the plan, knowing that his father was right. There was much to do for the wedding.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Shortly after Diego had left for Santa Paula, Alejandro drove to the pueblo to keep an eye on Victoria as promised, entering the tavern with the now well-known pistol box under his arm. It was still early in the morning, and except for a few patrons having coffee the tavern was empty.

"Hola, Victoria, coffee for me, please." Alejandro put the box on a table in back of the tavern where it wasn't that noticeable as on the center table, then he returned to the bar.

"Buenos días, Don Alejandro, here is your coffee. Where is Diego? Will he come later, or should I already prepare a coffee for him?"

"Diego won't come today, Victoria. He went to Santa Paula today to meet with his tailor and go to the bank. I'm sure he will be back early enough to pay you a visit in the evening." Alejandro grinned at Victoria's light blush.

"How could you persuade him to leave his post today? He is very serious about protecting me until our wedding."

"I told him I would take his place today, and only then did he agree. I will meet with some friends here to talk about business, and I hope you'll have a free minute later to join me for some lemonade."

"It will be my pleasure, Don Alejandro," Victoria smiled. "It was a good idea to persuade Diego to leave for a day. I could see how he grew more and more impatient with every day he stayed in the tavern with little else to do but to read or to work on the latest issue of his newspaper."

The friends Alejandro wanted to meet slowly filed into the tavern, and he went over to talk to them, gathering in the back of the tavern.

As it was his habit, every morning around nine de Soto entered the tavern to have his morning coffee. Glancing around, he quickly noticed Diego's absence from his table in the center of the tavern. Without taking notice of the group of caballeros gathered around Don Alejandro, he headed straight for the bar.

"Buenos días, Alcalde," Victoria greeted him. "Coffee as usual?"

"Yes, of course, coffee. Has your sheepdog, Don Diego, left you today?" he smirked. "What will you do now without any defender? Zorro has left you after you had a hot night with Don Diego, or wasn't it so hot after all?" Victoria's cheeks were burning red from anger and embarrassment, but before she could say something, Alejandro stepped forward, away from his group of friends.

"De Soto, Victoria Escalante is my future daughter-in-law and in absence of her brothers and my son, I am ready to defend her honor. My son and Victoria have both assured me that nothing inappropriate happened though it does not not save them from getting married. Therefore, Victoria has to treated as the honorable woman she is. I demand satisfaction for the insult to my son and his bride!"

"Don Alejandro!" de Soto gulped, surprised. "I didn't see you. You are not serious about the challenge, are you? Can't we solve this in a different way? I didn't mean it like it sounded." De Soto tried to back out of the situation.

"Of course, I am serious. Did you think you could insult my family when none of us was present? Then you were wrong, de Soto. There was nothing to misunderstand in your words," Alejandro glared at him. "I expect you at the plaza in …," he hesitated a bit, calculating in his mind, "about three hours. I heard that the doctor is visiting a patient this morning, but he should be back by noon. I suppose he will be needed." Alejandro said coldly.

"I will gladly second you, Alejandro," Don Pablo, one his friends, offered.

"I accept that, Pablo." Alejandro nodded to his friend. "Who will be your second, de Soto? What will be your choice of weapons, the saber or pistols?"

"I will choose pistols," de Soto declared, somewhat insecure and overwhelmed by the turn of events."

"I expected that from you, de Soto," Alejandro stated. "We have all seen you fencing with Zorro," indicating that he didn't hold de Soto's fencing abilities in great esteem. "Unless you have your own set of pistols, I suggest using mine, they are ready for use." Alejandro pointed at the table with the pistol box on top of it. "Your second and Don Pablo can examine them before the duel."

"Yes, of course, Don Alejandro," de Soto replied nervously. "If you will excuse me now, I need to inform my second."

"Send your second to discuss the details with Don Pablo."

"I will do that, Don Alejandro. Don Pablo, you will hear from me." De Soto left the tavern and his loud yelling for Mendoza could be heard by those in the tavern.

"It seems I will have to discuss the details with Sergeant Mendoza," Don Pablo stated. "Do you want the usual distance, Alejandro?"

"Yes, and on first blood." Alejandro instructed him.

"Fine, I think the sergeant will have no objections."

After Don Pablo left in company of his friends to meet the sergeant, Victoria found her voice again.

"Don Alejandro, please, you don't have to do this. At least you should wait until Diego returns from Santa Paula. He should be the one to defend me – not you. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you, only because Diego and I are getting married. You have to solve this without bloodshed. If you accept his apology, everything will be fine again, and nobody will get hurt."

"Victoria, there is no way to stop it now. An insult like this can only be washed away by blood. It's not the first duel I have participated in, and so far I have always been successful."

When Alejandro turned his attention back to his friends, Victoria secretly slipped out of the back door to drive with her cart to the de la Vega hacienda.

"Felipe, where is Felipe?" Victoria rushed into the hacienda calling for the boy. She found him in the library; he had come out the cave when he heard her yelling.

'What's wrong?' he signed, noticing her agitated state.

"Don Alejandro will be fighting a duel with the alcalde at noon. Felipe, you must ride to Santa Paula to get Diego. He has to come back at once!"

Felipe paled, but signed that he understood. Losing no time, he went to the stables to ride after Diego. Hopefully, he would catch up with Diego and bring him back in time to prevent the duel.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Alejandro hadn't registered Victoria's absence, as he was surrounded by his peers discussing the duel and other business. The news of the duel had spread like wildfire, and the tavern was crowded.

Victoria's helpers were relieved that she had returned quickly, as they had been very busy serving all the guests who had expressed their intention to stay for the duel and also have lunch. The many guests left her no free time between serving drinks and preparing lunch, and Victoria was grateful for it. It distracted her from the upcoming duel that loomed like a threat over her.

A duel often ended with the death of one or both duelist, and she was afraid of losing Don Alejandro, who was like a father to her. She constantly looked at the clock as noon was approaching much too fast for her. Would Felipe catch up with Diego to bring him back in time? Would Diego be able to prevent the duel as he had done as Zorro when his father was about to duel Bishop, the man who had wounded her and killed Don Alejandro's friend?

Please, Diego, hurry and come back! She had never thought that creating a scandal would result in more than getting her and Zorro married. How had it gotten so complicated?

Every time Victoria stepped onto the porch to serve her guests there, she looked to the northern entrance of the pueblo, hoping to see Diego coming back from Santa Paula, but among the riders coming to the pueblo from that direction was not the one she was waiting for. What if he didn't make it in time? Shivering from anxiety, she rubbed her arms, but it didn't help.

It was close to noon when Don Alejandro made ready to go out to the plaza to wait for de Soto to come out of his office, but then Don Pablo informed him that there was a delay. The doctor had just come back from one of his patients and needed a few more minutes before he was ready to assist in the duel.

Fifteen minutes after noon the doctor arrived, and the duelist met at the center of the plaza joined by their seconds, Don Pablo and Sergeant Mendoza.

As the rules required, the seconds had to ask the duelists if they wanted to go through with the duel, or if the offender, de Soto, was willing to make an apology, and if the offended, Don Alejandro, was willing to accept it.

Mendoza was visibly uncomfortable both with his role as second and with the duel itself. "Señores, is there a possibility to prevent the duel? Alcalde de Soto, are you willing to apologize to Don Alejandro and take back the insult about Señorita Victoria?"

De Soto thought about it for a minute before he nodded. "I do. I am willing to apologize."

"Don Alejandro, are you willing to accept the apology? Please?" Mendoza pleaded.

Don Alejandro didn't hesitate with his answer. "No, I will not accept an apology. An insult like this can only be redeemed by blood. De Soto, are you such a coward that you fear a duel so much?"

De Soto blanched at the insult, but managed to keep his face calm. "As you wish, Don Alejandro. Let us begin!"

Don Pablo opened the box with the two pistols for each of the opponents to take one. "Sergeant Mendoza and I have examined the two pistols and found them identical and in good condition." Mendoza nodded in confirmation.

First, de Soto and then Don Alejandro took one of the pistols and walked to the center of the plaza where they stopped, standing back to back. Mendoza and Don Pablo had moved to the side of the plaza, opposite the tavern to join the doctor, while the citizens had lined up on the side of the tavern to watch the duel.

With a loud voice Don Pablo explained the rules again. "You will each take twenty steps and turn around. When I drop the white cloth in my hand, you are allowed to shoot. Each party has exactly one shot. The matter is considered resolved no matter if there is bloodshed or not."

The opponents nodded in agreement and started to walk, each of them counting for himself before turning around. After they faced each other again, De Soto and Alejandro nodded in Don Pablo's direction to indicate that they were ready.

Don Pablo held his cloth up high and let it fall to the ground. The men raised their pistols and fired. There was scream of pain and one them fell to the ground, followed by an outcry in the crowd. The doctor instantly went to his patient to take care of him.

At this moment Diego rode into the pueblo at full gallop, barely stopping in front of the crowd, who made room for him.

"Stop this duel at once!" Diego shouted, looking around for the two combatants.

"You are too late, Don Diego. The duel is already over," Don Pablo informed him.

"What happened? Where is my father?"

"Diego! What are you doing here? I thought you were in Santa Paula! You can relax. Everything is all right!" Alejandro stepped forward to meet his son.

"Father!" Diego breathed out, relieved to see his father alive. "Are you injured? What about the alcalde?"

"I am unharmed, but the alcalde was hit. The doctor may tell us more about his condition."

"You could have been killed, Father! You had no right to do this! You should at least have waited until I had returned from Santa Paula!" Diego refrained from shouting in public, but he spoke harshly to his father, barely suppressing his anger

His father was unimpressed by his son's rage. "There is no reason to get angry now, Diego. I knew what I had to expect, and everything went as I thought."

Diego eyed him suspiciously. "Don't tell me you planned it all! Sending me to Santa Paula and hoping to challenge de Soto to a duel! Was that your intent?"

"Diego, let's discuss this at home and not in public," Alejandro advised him. "I did what I had to do."

"You are right, we will discuss this at home, Father, and I hope your justification is a good one." Diego glared at him.

"Don Alejandro, I am relieved that you are unharmed. I was so afraid," Victoria had made her way through the crowd.

"Victoria, thank you for sending Felipe after me," Diego put his arm around her shoulder.

"Ah, that's how you knew," Alejandro stated. "I should have guessed it."

"Victoria, will you come with us to the hacienda where we can talk in private about the events of today? My father owes me an explanation after he more or less admitted that he planned the duel."

"You did?" Surprised, Victoria stared at Alejandro. "But why?"

"I'll tell you all at home." Alejandro suddenly felt very tired. Now that the excitement was over, all he wanted to do was to sit down and rest.

At this moment the doctor stepped to the side as two soldiers arrived with a stretcher to carry the alcalde to his rooms.

"How is de Soto?" Diego inquired, walking over to the group with the doctor that had surrounded de Soto while he had been treated.

"The bullet hit him in the shoulder, destroying the bones," the doctor explained. "I will probably have to cut off the arm. If he is lucky, he can keep it, but there is no way he will ever use it again."

"Will he survive?" Diego inquired.

"It depends if the wound gets infected or not. It's still too early to say. You must excuse me now, but I need to take care of my patient." The doctor followed the soldiers carrying de Soto.

"Were you aiming at the shoulder, Don Alejandro? To spare his life?" Victoria inquired.

"No, I aimed at his heart, but he made a step to the side."

"Yes, I saw him moving to the side," Mendoza confirmed.

"Me too," Don Pablo agreed. "It's against the rules. The man is a coward."

Z Z Z

The three de la Vegas and Victoria sat down in the parlor to listen to Alejandro's explanation while Diego stared angrily at his father.

"Father, did you send me to Santa Paula, offering to take my place in the hope you could get de Soto to duel?"

"Yes, Diego, but I did it for you and for Victoria."

"I can fight my own battles, Father, and I have bested de Soto as Zorro every time I met him. There was no need for this."

"Yes, there was need, Diego. Please, let me explain." Alejandro raised his hand, asking his son to listen. "When you revealed to me that you are Zorro, you also told me that you are planning to continue to ride as Zorro, and I wasn't happy with it, and neither is Victoria."

"I never said anything, Don Alejandro," Victoria protested, "I understand why there is need for Zorro."

"You didn't have to say anything, Victoria. I saw it in your face." Alejandro said. "I want you to be happy with your wife, Diego, but none of us can be happy when we never know if Zorro will return from his ride. To stop you to ride as Zorro, I needed to eliminate the reason for Zorro's existence: Alcalde de Soto."

"And you thought you could do it, when Zorro couldn't in all these years?" Diego asked.

"I know you have objections about killing someone, but I don't. As a soldier, I killed many men during my time of service. When you came up with your idea to threaten everyone who insulted Victoria with a duel, I knew what I had to do. De Soto is a coward in his heart and he wouldn't dare fighting a duel with you, but the moment he thought it was safe, he wouldn't refrain from insulting Victoria."

"Yes, you were right, Don Alejandro. When he didn't see Diego and his pistols, he questioned my reputation." Victoria added.

"De Soto tried to get out of the duel after I challenged him in defense of Victoria, and he even offered an apology, but I didn't accept it."

"Why not, Father? You could have been killed during the duel. De Soto was not a worthy opponent for Zorro's sword, but he had a good aim."

"I was in less danger than you thought, Diego. Do you remember when de Soto arrived in the pueblo, and he admitted that he had cheated in university?"

"I remember it, but I wasn't sure if it was a joke or not."

"I believed him, Diego. A man who cheated once will always cheat."

"So, you believed he would cheat during the duel too? How can you cheat during the duel, Don Alejandro? The rules are set!" Victoria inquired.

"Yes, they are. The moment the white cloth is dropped, the opponents fire. It was in that moment when the duelists lift the pistol and aim, when de Soto acted as the coward and the cheat he is. He took one step to the side, expecting that I would aim at his former place and my bullet would miss him while he had a clear aim. I anticipated his step to the right and aimed there. The second it took him to move to the side was the second he was late. My bullet hit his shoulder before he could aim, and his shot went up in the air."

"Father, you gambled your life on an assumption! How could you! You could have been killed."

"You take it all too serious, Son. What is life without a gamble, Diego? And I was right on de Soto!" Alejandro grinned proudly. "I don't mind if I had been killed. All I wanted was to get de Soto eliminated from his post, so that my son no longer needs to ride as Zorro. I should have tried that much earlier, instead of relying on Zorro to solve our problems."

"Life is not something you gamble with, Father! Especially yours!"

"Really, Diego, I don't think _you_ have a right to say that. How many times could you have died when you rode out as Zorro in the last years? Tell me that, Diego! Tell me you didn't gamble with your life when you pulled some of your amazing stunts."

Diego wanted to say something in reply, but Victoria stopped him. "Don Alejandro, Diego, please stop. This doesn't lead to anything. Do you realize how alike you are?" Surprised, the two men looked at Victoria and each other.

"Diego, I think there's no more need to discuss this any further. What is done is done. Instead, we should be grateful for what your father did for us. If de Soto is removed from his office, you're free, Diego. There is no more need for Zorro to ride," Victoria appealed to them.

"You're right, Victoria. I'm sorry, Father. Forgive me?"

"Of course, my Son." Alejandro patted him on the shoulder. "I understand how you feel. I feel the same when I think of you riding as Zorro. I couldn't stand the idea of losing you, Diego, and it was the only way I knew how to help you, when you didn't let me help you as Zorro. I love you, Son."

"I love you too, Father." The men embraced each other. "Thank you."

"Don Alejandro, how can you be sure that de Soto won't stay on as alcalde?" Victoria inquired, voicing her fears that it might not be over yet. "There is a good chance that he may survive. Even with one arm he can command the soldiers and rule the pueblo."

"Victoria, even if de Soto survives, his days as alcalde are over. Now that his cowardice is revealed, he is unfit to command others. He will be degraded to private or thrown out of the army. We can look forward to the future and a better alcalde."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The following weeks up to the wedding kept them all busy with wedding preparations, but now they had time for it. After the duel all rude remarks had stopped, as nobody wanted to risk a duel with one of the de la Vegas. To see the former alcalde brooding all day long in the mission garden with only one arm discouraged even the boldest drunk. De Soto had survived, but he had lost not only his arm but also his honor and his post as alcalde of Los Angeles. All that was left for him was to wait for the next ship to Spain.

After the governor in Monterey had heard of the duel and the circumstances, he had relieved de Soto of his duties, suggesting that a long sea voyage to Spain would be good for his recovery.

Due to the war in Spain, the King wasn't able to send a replacement for the alcalde and the governor ordered a general election to be held in Los Angeles in four weeks to elect a new alcalde among the citizens in the area.

De Soto had already departed when Diego and Victoria were finally married in the crowded church of Los Angeles, followed by the biggest party Los Angeles had ever seen with plenty of food and drinks. There was much talking among the citizens that Alejandro would make a good alcalde with his experience as a soldier and the successful management of his hacienda. It would be the right time to hand over the responsibility of the hacienda to Diego, now that he had settled down and taken a wife.

Some time earlier, Diego and Victoria had retreated to their room, and Alejandro and Felipe were the only ones still up after all the guests had left.

Alejandro was inebriated from drinking too much wine and held Felipe back when he wanted to leave.

"Felipe, I know Diego never wanted to tell what he had drawn on the paper that he needed to create the scandal, but I know you have seen it. So, tell me what was on it!"

Felipe hesitated a bit, but the wine had "loosened his tongue". With gestures he explained the drawing and fetched a paper to write down the poetry.

"It showed Victoria in the windmill, naked, but partly covered with a blanket? She was looking seductive?" Felipe nodded, blushing again.

"Only your sweet lips can pure my burning desire was written on top of it?" Felipe nodded again, embarrassed.

"Do you think it really happened in the windmill, or did Diego make it up?" Felipe shrugged in reply.

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore, does it?" Alejandro winked in the direction of Diego's room. "I guess they are busy working on the next generation of de la Vegas."

Felipe fled the room before Alejandro could continue that topic. Alejandro rose from his seat and raised his glass to his future grandchildren, emptying it in one swallow. Then he went to bed.

The End

_**A/N:** I want to thank KathyZfan for taking the time to beta the story and correct my English while she is busy writing her own stories. A beta always helps to polish a story and improves it in content too, so I'm grateful to have a good one. _


End file.
